This invention relates generally to tube filling devices. More particularly, this invention relates to a tube filling device comprised of a transport table for transporting long receiving holders for tube adapters. Such a tube filling device is known from German Patent No., 43 02 014. German Patent No. 43 02 014 discloses a tube filling device in which the tubes in a carton are first isolated in both spatial directions of the transport plane and then set head first into long receiving holders. These receiving holders are subsequently transported to the various work stations of the tube filling device. In accordance with this patent, the receiving holders are firmly attached to a circulating conveyor belt mounted on a straight transport line. Over the length of the work line, there are roughly 100 receiving holders arranged one after another with their long sides adjacent while on the bottom of the transport chain or continuous conveyor belt. Meanwhile, another 100 receiving holders are transported in the opposite direction, similarly to an escalator. Each receiving holder is generally made of metal, and even when constructed of light weight materials, each receiving holder still weighs at least one kilogram. This means that the receiving holders alone total a weight of 200 kilograms which must be moved by the device apart from the weight of the conveyor belt or chain. This weight must be constantly accelerated and/or stopped, dependent on the work or feed process. This results in considerable stress being placed on the whole mechanical propulsion unit and also on the conveyor elements.
With other known tube filling devices, the tubes are filled on round tables by rotating the round table with respect to the various work stations. These round table devices have the disadvantage that relatively high angle speed must be used to feed the tubes from one station to another in order to achieve a satisfactory throughput. Thus, the transport and conveyor devices are subject to considerable wear with these machines as well as the machines of the type disclosed in German Patent No. 43 02 014 discussed hereinbefore.
Therefore, there is a perceived need for a tube filling device that has improved throughput with reduced stress on the components involved in transporting the receiving holders.